Optical sensor module

ABSTRACT

An optical sensor module for measuring both speckleplethysmography (SPG) and photoplethysmography (PPG) signals at human or animal tissue, the optical sensor module comprising:a first light source, for illuminating the tissue for use with SPG measurements, the first light source comprising a laser; a second light source, for illuminating the tissue for use with PPG measurements; and one or more optical sensor(s) for receiving light from the illuminated tissue.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 63/279,932, filed Nov. 16, 2021, entitled “ACOMBINED OPTICAL SENSOR MODULE”, the entire content of which isincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an optical sensor,particularly to an optical sensor module for measuring bothspeckleplethysmography (SPG) and photoplethysmography (PPG) signals athuman tissue.

BACKGROUND

Photoplethysmography (PPG) signals are currently utilized to extractcardiovascular parameters such as heart rate (HR), pulsatile oxygensaturation (SpO2) and blood pressure (BP). PPG signals arise from thechange in tissue absorption caused by blood volume variation duringpulsatile flow. These AC signals are generally of low magnitude ascompared to a DC background. This is especially true on the wrist, wherethe pulsatile signal may be on the order of 0.4% or less than themeasured intensity at red wavelengths. Red and near infra-red (NIR)light sources are required to obtain SpO2 values. Most wearables thatprovide SpO2 at wrist do so only during a person's quiescent periods,such as at night, where many pulses can be averaged in order to overcomelow signal quality. To obtain daily beat-to-beat heartbeat values, manyPPG modules include a green LED that has higher responsivity to changesin blood absorption. However, the green light does not penetrate verydeeply and the signal quality is impacted by pressure that reducescirculation in the microvasculature. It is also undesirable for manypeople to observe a bright green light in a wearable device during thenight.

Furthermore, it is possible that blood pressure may be extracted withmore accuracy and reliability from blood flow data(speckleplethysmography, SPG) or a combination of blood flow and PPGthan from PPG signals alone. For this reason, it is advantageous tosimultaneously collect both SPG and PPG signals for the purposes ofobtaining HR, HRV, SpO2, and BP measurements. To obtain SpO2, either orboth of SPG and PPG may be collected from at least two wavelengths. Forco-oximetry measurements in which more than one form of modifiedhemoglobin is measured, such as methemoglobin and carboxyhemoglobin,many more than 2 wavelengths may be utilized, often 6 or more.

It may be desirable to obtain a host of cardiovascular parameters fromone compact, body-worn module. This may be achieved through thecombination of SPG and PPG signals. Previously, researchers havedemonstrated a combined system for measuring blood flow and tissueoxygenation by utilizing two laser diodes (red, NIR/IR) and a CMOS imagesensor [Liu et al. J. Biomed. Opt. 26(1) 012705-1, 2021]. Thecalculation of SPG via spatial contrast measurements involves measuringboth the standard deviation and intensity of the speckle image andcalculating the ratio. Therefore, the calculation uses a PPG signal,which is directly related to the measured image intensity. However, thismethod is not optimal for resolving the pulsatile PPG signal at mediumto low blood volumes, such as would be the case for a consumer wearabledevice. Indeed, the authors only demonstrated tissue oxygen saturation,St02, which is not the resolved pulsatile SpO2 signal.

Systems that are optimized for PPG measurements in consumer wearablesinclude DC and ambient light subtraction prior to amplifying the ACsignal in order to improve dynamic range and sensitivity. Additionally,the photodiodes used are generally large format (e.g. 2×3 mm) toincrease the number of detected photons. Finally, it is typical to useLEDs which, unlike lasers, do not produce speckle noise in intensitymeasurements.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention aim to solve the aboveproblems by providing, according to one or more embodiments of a firstaspect, an optical sensor module for measuring bothspeckleplethysmography (SPG) and photoplethysmography (PPG) signals athuman tissue, the optical sensor module comprising: a first lightsource, for illuminating the human tissue for use with SPG measurements,the first light source comprising a laser; a second light source, forilluminating the human tissue for use with PPG measurements; and one ormore optical sensor(s) for receiving light from the illuminated humantissue.

Herein, when it is stated that the optical sensor module is formeasuring SPG and PPG signals “at human tissue”, it should be understoodthat the light from the first and second laser sources is incident onthe human tissue, and that the one or more optical sensors areconfigured to receive, and measure, light which is reflected and/orscattered from the surface of the human tissue, or from components ofthe tissue beneath the surface, and which is transmitted back throughthe tissue in a reflectance measurement geometry, or light that is onlytransmitted through the tissue in a transmission measurement geometry.In some cases, the one or more optical sensors may be arranged, in use,to be in contact with a user's skin, in which case the light from thefirst light source and the second light source may enter the user'stissue through the skin, and be reflected or scattered from componentsof the tissue beneath the skin, and then travel back through the tissue,whereupon, on being transmitted back through the skin, it may bedetected by the one or more optical sensors. In alternative cases, theone or more optical sensors may be configured to be spaced from theuser's skin in use, in which case the received light may further includelight which is reflected from the surface of the user's skin.

In other cases, the one or more optical sensors may be configured toreceive light which has been transmitted through the tissue. In thosecases, the one or more optical sensors may still be arranged, in use,either to be in contact with the user's skin or spaced from the user'sskin. Transmission may, for example, be transmission from one side of afinger, ear, or toe to the other.

Some embodiments of the invention relate to illumination of organictissue. This may be “human tissue” or “animal tissue”. Herein, “humantissue” or “animal tissue” may refer to blood (e.g. blood cells orcomponents thereof, such as the cell membranes), and elements of thevasculature (e.g. arteries, veins, capillaries, or walls thereof). Itwill be appreciated that different physiological parameters may bemeasured or otherwise determined based on illumination of differenttypes of human tissue—this is discussed later in the application.

Optional features of the invention will now be set out. These areapplicable singly or in any combination with any aspect of theinvention.

Optionally, the first light source is a laser with a wavelength ofoperation lying within a red wavelength, which may be thought of as therange of 600 nm to 1000 nm, or the range from 620 nm to 1000 nm.

Optionally, the wavelength of operation of the laser is 660 nm or 760nm.

Optionally, the second light source is an LED.

Optionally, the second light source is an LED operating at infra-red(IR) wavelengths (e.g. >800 nm).

Optionally, the second light source is an LED operating at a redwavelength, e.g. a wavelength within the range of 620 nm to 1000 nm.

Optionally, the first and second light sources are both lasers and arelocated on the same photonic integrated circuit (PIC).

Optionally, the first light source is a laser having a first wavelength,the second light source is an LED operating at a second wavelength, theoptical sensor further comprising a third light source, the third lightsource comprising an LED operating at the first wavelength or a similarwavelength to the first wavelength.

Optionally, the first light source is a laser having a red wavelengthwithin the range of 620 to 800 nm, the second light source is an LEDoperating at an IR wavelength within the range of 800 to 1000 nm, theoptical sensor further comprising a third light source, the third lightsource comprising an LED operating at red wavelength within the range of620 to 800 nm.

Optionally, the first and second light sources and the one or moreoptical sensor(s) are configured to carry out SPG and PPG measurementssimultaneously or near-simultaneously.

Optionally, the one or more optical sensor(s) comprises an image sensor.

Optionally, the same image sensor is used to extract measurements fromboth the first light source and the second light source.

Optionally, the one or more optical sensor(s) is configured to carry outone or more of the following: in-pixel ambient/DC subtraction; nearpixel ambient DC subtraction; pixel block statistics calculation; and/orpixel array statistics calculation.

Optionally, the one or more optical sensor(s) includes a processorconfigured to process captured data in-device and generate PPG and/orSPG output data.

Optionally, the one or more optical sensor(s) comprises an event-basedimage sensor.

Optionally, the one or more optical sensor(s) comprises a photodiode andseparate sensor (e.g. CMOS).

Optionally, the optical sensor module further comprises one or moreprocessors configured to convert optical measurement(s) at the one ormore optical sensor(s) to measurements of one or more of the following:blood pressure, SpO2, arterial stiffness, heart rate, heart ratevariability, atrial fibrillation, bradycardia, tachycardia, and/ormovement such as steps taken or gestures.

Optionally, the optical sensor module may be located or locatable on aconsumer wearable, typically understood to have a small form factor.

Optionally, the optical sensor may be located on or as part of a module.The module may be part of a strap or attached to a strap such thatmeasurements are taken over the radial or ulnar arteries of the wrist.

Optionally, the optical sensor module may be located on a wrist strap ofa wearable device.

Optionally, when the wearable device is located on the wrist of a user,one or more of the optical sensor(s) are located over the radial arteryof the user.

Optionally, the wearable device includes a timepiece, and a strap thatconnects to the timepiece, and the entire optical sensor module islocated on the strap. In this way, the smart strap may advantageously beused in combination with analogue timepieces. That is to say, theoperation of the smart strap can be completely separate from theoperation of the timepiece. This may be advantageous since there islimited space on the back of the wrist combined with user tolerance forstack height.

In addition, there remains a strong desire for analog timepieces, oftenin the higher price point market. Consumers must forgo health-relatedbenefits to enjoy such timepieces, or wear two watches; a smartwatchthat provides wellness/cardiovascular metrics and a quality analogtimepiece.

Some embodiments of the present invention also provide for physiologicalbenefits over prior art devices which may incorporate optical sensor(s)onto the timepiece itself to be located at the back of the wrist. Theback of the wrist is actually not the ideal place from which to acquirebiophotonic measurements owing to low vascularization. By moving theoptical sensors to a radial or ulnar site, it is possible to betterutilise PPG signals at red wavelengths and obtain SpO2 sensors withstronger performance. This results in more accurate measurements, forexample of heart rate, where prior art monitors located at the back ofthe wrist typically use green light to access the surface capillariesand utilize the higher absorption of hemoglobin in the green wavelengthrange. Although red wavelengths are known for SpO2 measurements, thistypically takes place at the fingertip of a user, because of thesignificantly higher vascularization in that location.

A smart strap according to one or more embodiments of the presentinvention would provide many cardiovascular parameters such as HeartRate (HR), Heart Rate Variability (HRV), SpO2, Blood Pressure (BP). Thestrap may rely on a small form factor PIC, application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC) and flexible electronic substrate. It isenvisioned that the data for measuring the parameters can be obtainedwith just 2 or 3 laser wavelengths in the red and NIR regions bycombining SPG and PPG information. Space is required in the strap forBluetooth, battery, and other features normal in such a wearable device.

Optionally, the optical sensor may further comprise one or moreadditional light sources. In this way, the light source is configured tobe capable of operating at more than two wavelengths. By providingmultiple wavelengths at the sensor, it would be possible to carry outco-oximetry readings. A co-oximeter may use six or more wavelengths tomeasure the oxygen carrying state of haemoglobin in the blood of a user.

According to one or more embodiments of a second aspect of the presentinvention, there is provided, a wearable device comprising an opticalsensor module according to any one of the embodiments herein.

Optionally, the wearable device may further comprise one or moreadditional optical sensor(s), the one or more optical sensorscorresponding to the optical sensor(s) of any one of the embodimentsdescribed herein. This may, for example provide a device capable ofperforming co-oximetry.

According to one or more embodiments of a third aspect of the presentinvention, there is provided, a strap (a “smart strap”) comprising anoptical sensor module according to any one or more of the embodimentsdescribed herein.

According to one or more embodiments of a fourth aspect of the presentinvention, there is provided a wearable device comprising two or morebio-monitoring circuits, each biomonitoring circuit comprising arespective light source and sensor. Such a wearable device couldincorporate any one or more of the optional features described herein.

According to one or more embodiments of a fifth aspect of the presentinvention, there is provided a strap for a wearable device, the strapcomprising two or more bio-monitoring circuits, each biomonitoringcircuit comprising a respective light source and sensor. Such a strapcould incorporate any one or more of the optional features describedherein.

Further optional features of embodiments of the invention are set outbelow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of examplewith reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an optical sensor module accordingto an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of an optical sensor module accordingto a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an optical sensor module accordingto a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 4A and 4B each show a schematic diagram of three further opticalsensor modules according to further embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 shows a representation of module operation according to a firstexample;

FIG. 6 shows a representation of module operation according to a secondexample;

FIG. 7 shows a representation of module operation according to a thirdexample;

FIG. 8 depicts (a) an illustration of the operation of in-pixelambient/DC removal, and (b) an illustration of the operation of an eventimage sensor;

FIG. 9 depicts SPG and ECG data from a first subject;

FIG. 10 depicts SPG and ECG data from a second subject;

FIG. 11 depicts SPG data from a third subject;

FIG. 12 depicts SPG data from a fourth subject;

FIG. 13 depicts an example process followed where the optical sensormodule of some embodiments of the present invention is configured tocarry out pixel array statistics;

FIG. 14 depicts an example process followed where the optical sensormodule of some embodiments of the present invention is configured tocarry out event-based detection;

FIG. 15 depicts a smart strap comprising an optical sensor according tosome embodiments of the present invention, the smart strap being made ofa non-conductive material; and

FIG. 16 depicts a smart strap comprising an optical sensor according tosome embodiments of the present invention, portions of the smart strapbeing made of a conductive material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

SPG signals are obtained from blood flow speed and are generally oflarger magnitude than PPG signals at the same wavelength. Additionally,because the SPG signal is obtained primarily from deeper lyingvasculature with faster flow, it is less impacted by applied pressure.The SPG signal is comprised of very sharp peaks when collected at >20 Hzand preferably >100 Hz frame rate and so provides an excellent means ofmeasuring HR. A cardiovascular module that combines SPG and PPG signalsmay provide numerous cardiovascular metrics including blood pressure,SpO2, arterial stiffness, heart rate, heart rate variability, atrialfibrillation, bradycardia, and tachycardia with just red and “IR”sources. Therefore, a green LED and/or dedicated detector for visiblelight is not required, which saves both battery consumption and space.Furthermore, the blood flow (SPG) measurement is very sensitive tomotion and provides signals that may be interpreted as steps, gestures,or other movement-related phenomena. Thus, the module may or may notinclude an accelerometer.

Since the hemoglobin absorption band is quite steep in the region of600-700 nm, SpO2 accuracy depends on the accuracy of the wavelength ofthe red light. Devices that utilize LEDs, with resulting broadbandemission and sensitivity to temperature, may come out of calibration andgive erroneous results. SPG signals require a coherent laser as lightsource. Lasers have much narrower emissions and less sensitivity totemperature, thereby providing a more accurate SpO2 over a wide range ofconditions. Note that the “IR” light source (>800 nm) may be broaderbecause haemoglobin absorption is relatively flat in the region 830-900nm.

The image sensor can incorporate methods of in-pixel cancellation of DClight signals (from non-pulsatile light) or light from the ambientenvironment. In some embodiments, an event camera sensor may be used inplace of a conventional image sensor for the detection of the SPG andPPG signals. Such a sensor offers advantages in lower power usage andprocessing requirements due to its capability of providing pixel changeupdates instead of full frame updates.

In some embodiments, the invention includes, but is not limited to acardiovascular module that provides blood pressure, SpO2, arterialstiffness, heart rate, heart rate variability, atrial fibrillation,bradycardia, and tachycardia parameters, in a wearable, compact formfactor. This module is optimized for both PPG and SPG signal collectionto obtain robust measurements.

FIG. 1 shows an optical sensor module, 101 comprising a first lightsource 1, for illuminating the human tissue for use with SPGmeasurements. In this embodiment, the first light source is a laserhaving sufficient coherence length to acquire SPG signals (e.g.vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), distributed feedback(DFB) diode, distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) diode, volume holographic(VHG) diode).

The optical sensor module also includes a second light source 2 forilluminating the human tissue for use with PPG measurements. In theembodiment shown, the second light source takes the form of an infra-redLED (e.g. having a center wavelength of 830-980 nm).

Including the second light source in the form of an LED may beadvantageous as it is less susceptible to error due to wavelength driftowing to the flat hemoglobin spectrum in that region.

A plurality of optical sensor(s) is also located on the optical modulefor receiving light from the illuminated human tissue. In thisembodiment, these sensors include a photodiode, 3 and a CMOS imagesensor, 4. The photodiode may take the form of a large area photodiodewith DC subtraction electronics. Electronics for the photodiode arepresent and may be optimized for PPG data collection to obtain SpO2whereas the CMOS sensor may be utilized for the SPG signal collection toobtain BP and other cardiovascular parameters. This embodiment does notcontain a green LED, although it would be possible to adapt it (notshown) to include a green or other wavelength LED or laser either inaddition, or as a replacement to the components shown in FIG. 1 .

An optical sensor module, 201 according to a second embodiment isdescribed below in relation to FIG. 2 , the second embodiment, differingfrom the embodiment of FIG. 2 in that the photodiode 3 is removed, andthe PPG signal is instead obtained using an image sensor.

The image sensor may be a charge-coupled device (CCD), a CMOS imagesensor (CIS), or an implementation of a CCD or CIS incorporating anin-pixel DC (non-pulsatile) or ambient light subtraction method such asbut not limited to auto-zeroing and chopping, common mode reset, minimumcharge transfer, or dual transfer gate architecture.

Alternatively, the image sensor may be an event image sensor (EIS) whichproduces asynchronous pixel updates according to defined pixel intensitychanges as opposed to conventional synchronous frame-based CCD or CISsensors.

A third embodiment of an optical sensor module 301 is described belowwith reference to FIG. 3 . In this embodiment, both the first and secondlight source are lasers. The module comprises only the image sensordescribed in the second embodiment and a photonic integrated chip (PIC)5 containing at least two lasers, one laser having a red wavelength andone laser having a NIR/IR wavelength. Red wavelength may be taken to belight with a wavelength from 620 nm to 800 nm. NIR/IR may be taken to belight with a wavelength of 800 nm to 1000 nm. The PIC may, in addition,contain multiple laser wavelengths to also perform CO-oximetry(carboxyhemoglobin, methemoglobin, etc). As with the embodiment of FIG.2 , a single image sensor is used to detect both PPG and SPG signals.

Any one or more of the embodiments described herein may utilizetemporary speckle mitigation techniques for the collection of the PPGsignal obtained from a photodiode, such as a deformable mirror torapidly adjust optical pathlengths, an optical phase array, rasterscanning, angle scanning, wavelength scanning or broadening, or anycombination thereof. This may improve SNR as it reduces speckle noisefrom the intensity signal, which is more important as the size of thesensor/detector is reduced. Additionally, or alternatively, multiplephotodiode acquisitions of the laser signal may be collected andaveraged to improve SNR.

Any one or more of the embodiments may also include a multi-aperturearray in front of the image sensor to improve SNR while maintaining theappropriate speckle to pixel ratio by virtue of the aperture diametersand distance from the sensor. Such a sensor does not require a lens toobtain the appropriate speckle to pixel ratio, although a lens or lensarray may be used in conjunction with the aperture plate.

It is to be understood that the embodiments described are notlimitations, e.g. green, blue, yellow, or other wavelength LEDs orlasers may be included and any LED may be replaced with a laser. The SPGsignal requires, at minimum, one laser of any wavelength be present inthe system along with at least one image sensor. Alternatively, in placeof an image sensor that is required for speckle spatial contrastmeasurements, the SPG signal may be obtained by diffuse correlationspectroscopy (DCS) or interferometric diffuse correlation spectroscopy(iDCS). DCS or iDCS requires either a photodiode or balanced receiverwith >500 kHz sampling rate or a single photon counting avalanchedetector (SPAD) detector.

Additional modalities may be added to this module, such as ECG(electrocardiography) sensor(s), which may be utilized in addition tothe SPG and/or PPG signals to calculate pulse arrival times to aid in BPestimations. ECG may also be utilized for certain arrythmia detectionsas part of the suite of cardiovascular parameters.

Three further optical modules are shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. FIG. 4Bdiffers from FIG. 4A in that it shows the link between each light sourceand its respective detector. Each module ((i), (ii), (iii)) includes animage sensor 403 (e.g. a CMOS image sensor (CIS)), a second sensor 404(e.g. a photodiode), a laser (e.g. a VCSEL), and one or more LEDs (e.g.a red and an infra-red LED). A module may take the form of discretecomponents mounted to a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA). Exampledimensions are shown and are approximate, based on discreet componentsizes. However, it is important to note that these are only illustrativeexamples, and that other sizes would be possible.

Placement may be over an artery, 15, such as the radial or arterialartery. The arrangement shown in FIG. 4A (iii) (and corresponding FIG.4B (iii)) is advantageous as the artery passes in the middle of thespace, or “banana” (401, 402) formed between the source and detector forboth the SPG and PPG modules. In the particular embodiment shown, theSPG and PPG modules are located separately on the same printed circuitboard assembly (PCBA), with the PPG module corresponding to the LED(s)and photodiode, and the SPG module corresponding to the laser (e.g.VCSEL) and the image sensor (e.g. CIS).

It has been found to be advantageous for the modules to be stackedvertically with respect to an artery (i.e. along the artery when in use)in order to maximize light of similar source-detector separation. Again,such an arrangement is shown in FIG. 4A (iii) and FIG. 4B (iii).

A first example of module operation is described below in relation toFIG. 5 . In this example, a first laser has a wavelength of 785 nm andseparate LEDs having red (660 nm) and IR (900 or 940 nm) wavelengthsrespectively are also present. This gives a total of three differentwavelengths used to interrogate the surface. In the example shown, theLED data acquisition is fitted within the period after cameraintegration (t_(INT)) and before max frame rate, assuming that thecamera integration time is less than the period required for max framerate operation. A time delay t_(SETTLE) is also shown on FIG. 5 , thistime delay being caused by laser or light intensity stabilisation.

A further example is shown in FIG. 6 , the optical module comprising asingle laser and a single LED, thereby operating at two wavelengths. Thelaser generates light of a red (e.g. 660 nm) wavelength and the LEDgenerates light of an IR (e.g. 900 or 940 nm) wavelength.

For convenience, operation parameters can be chosen to keep samplingrate of the IR signal the same for the PD and to use the photodiode toacquire multiple collections of the red laser in order to improve SNRdue to speckle noise. Depending on the integration times used, it may bepossible to carry out two or more red PD acquisitions.

A third example of an operation of an optical module is shown in FIG. 7. In this embodiment, the optical module includes a laser module or PICconfigured to generate light of two different wavelengths (R and IR),and a single sensor such as a CMOS image sensor. Integration of thesignal (t_(INT)) by the sensor starts at a time (t_(SETTLE)) after thestart of the irradiation of the sample by the laser. The PIC may containtwo lasers to generate both red (660 nm) and IR (960 nm) light. It ispossible that more than two wavelengths may be generated by the PIC, inwhich case the operation shown in FIG. 7 can be applied, and eachwavelength cycled through in a given order.

A method by which the sensor can mitigate the effect of ambientbackground light is shown in FIG. 8 .(a). The sensor can sample(SAMPLE-B) the ambient background light with the laser drive off(LASERDRV). The sensor can subsequently sample with the laser on(SAMPLE-S), the resulting reading being a combination of the signal andthe ambient background light. Subtraction of the two readings results ina readout (READOUT) consisting of only the contribution of the signal.The subtraction can be accomplished by, but not limited to, in pixelcharge subtraction or post-photoconversion voltage subtraction.

An example of a speckle pattern measured by an event based imagingdevice is shown in FIG. 8 .(b). The event based image sensor functionsby the detection of discrete changes in pixel intensity (events). Thetemporal fluctuation of the set of speckle pebbles (xi,yi) translates tothe generation of an asynchronous series of pixel events, These eventscan then be processed by either, but not limited to, integration over afixed time interval to create a corresponding frame of pixel intensitiesor in an online fashion by which a histogram of pixel update event ratesrelates to the temporal fluctuation of the speckle pattern.

Examples of SPG (top) and ECG (second from top) data from two subjectsare shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 respectively, the data showing equivalencyin performance of measuring HR (third from top) and HRV (bottom).

Examples of SPG signals (top) contain both high and low-frequencycomponents of accelerometer data (X, Y, and Z axes in second, third, andfourth plots from the top) are shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 for tworespective subjects. Motion detection and tracking may be achieved viathe SPG signal and without the need for an accelerometer.

The processing of data from one or more sensor pixel arrays can bebetter understood with reference to the flow diagrams shown in FIGS. 13and 14 .

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13 , a sensor pixel array is first usedto detect ambient background light with the light source turned off(s131). Speckle light is then detected (s132) by the sensor pixel array,when the light source is turned on. Ambient background light can then besubtracted and/or a DC set value can be subtracted from the specklepixel array data (s133). For each pixel individually, or in a columnfashion, amplification (s134) may be carried out to maximize the dynamicrange of the data before digitization (s135). At digitization, pixelvoltage is converted to digital unit via an analogue to digitalconverter. A processor may then calculate (s136) the sensor pixel arraystatistics, and may do so in blocks of a set size. Once these statisticshave been calculated, a single data point can be obtained (s137), thesingle data point corresponding to SPG and PPG signals.

Calculation (s136) of the sensor pixel array statistics may include thesteps of: subdividing (s138) the pixel array into N×N blocks; for eachblock, calculating (s139) the pixel value mean and variance andcalculating speckle contrast (K) for the block; and calculating (s140)averages of speckle contrast and intensity across all blocks.

A process including event-based detection is described below in relationto FIG. 14 . The process differs from that described above in relationto FIG. 13 in that the first two steps (s131, s132) are replaced bythree new steps (s141, s142, s143). Firstly, ambient background light isdetected (s141) through the sensor pixel array with the light sourceoff, then speckle light is detected (s142) through the pixel array withthe light source on. This may be achieved by pixel event-baseddetection. Next, speckle pixel events are accumulated (s. 143) over aspecified time, to create a sparse speckle pixel array.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the optical sensormodule is located on a wrist strap 1501 of a wearable device. In some ofthese embodiments, the optical sensor module is entirely located on asmart strap, the smart strap being a strap that includes all of theelectronics and processing required by the optical sensor and can thusfunction completely separately from any timepiece that is to beconnected to the strap. In this way, the smart strap may be used incombination with (e.g. by retrofitting onto) any pre-existing timepieceincluding analogue timepieces.

A first smart strap is shown in FIG. 15 , the smart strap 1501 beingconnectable to a timepiece 1502. This embodiment is typical of non-metal(e.g. leather) straps. The optical sensor module may be located within aregion 1503, 1504 on one or both sides of the strap such that theoptical sensors lie over the radial and/or ulnar artery (arteries) ofthe user.

In an alternative smart strap shown in FIG. 16 , the smart strap 1601 ismade of a conductive material such as metal. Again, components of theoptical sensor module may be located along the strap, and typicallyalong the entire region 1603 of the strap. Any optical sensors of theoptical sensor module may be placed so that when the conductive strap(or portionally conductive strap) is in use, being worn by the user, theone or more sensors are located above the radial and/or ulnar artery(arteries) of the user.

On a conductive (or portionally conductive), metal strap, thepossibility exists for the sensing and electronic elements such asbattery, Bluetooth, etc to be spread out, using the clasp (volar wrist)or other contact points along the strap as an electrical connection

It is possible to optimally design a strap using any external material(leather, silicone, plastic, metal) with sensing and electronics fullyenclosed within and using the clasp for electrical attachment. Theattachment area (dorsal wrist to timepiece/smartwatch) would be standardlug or compression spring or other common attachment mechanism.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with the exemplaryembodiments described above, many equivalent modifications andvariations will be apparent to those skilled in the art when given thisdisclosure. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention setforth above are considered to be illustrative and not limiting. Variouschanges to the described embodiments may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention.

All references referred to above are hereby incorporated by reference.

1. An optical sensor module for measuring both speckleplethysmography(SPG) and photoplethysmography (PPG) signals at human or animal tissue,the optical sensor module comprising: a first light source, forilluminating the tissue for use with SPG measurements, the first lightsource comprising a laser; a second light source, for illuminating thetissue for use with PPG measurements; and one or more optical sensor(s)for receiving light from the illuminated tissue.
 2. The optical sensormodule of claim 1, wherein the first light source is a laser with awavelength of operation lying within the range of 620 nm to 1000 nm. 3.The optical sensor module of claim 2, wherein the wavelength ofoperation of the laser is 660 nm or 760 nm.
 4. The optical sensor moduleof claim 1, wherein the second light source is an LED.
 5. The opticalsensor module of claim 4, wherein the second light source is an LEDoperating at infra-red (IR) wavelengths.
 6. The optical sensor module ofclaim 4, wherein the second light source is an LED operating at awavelength within the range of 620 nm to 1000 nm.
 7. The optical sensormodule of claim 4, wherein the first light source is a laser having ared wavelength within the range of 620 to 800 nm, the second lightsource is an LED operating at an IR wavelength within the range of 800to 1000 nm, the optical sensor further comprising a third light source,the third light source comprising an LED operating at red wavelengthwithin the range of 620 to 800 nm.
 8. The optical sensor module of claim1, wherein the first and second light sources are both lasers and arelocated on the same PIC.
 9. The optical sensor module of claim 1,wherein the first and second light sources and the one or more opticalsensor(s) are configured to carry out SPG and PPG measurementssimultaneously.
 10. The optical sensor module of claim 1, wherein theone or more optical sensor(s) comprises an image sensor.
 11. The opticalsensor module of claim 10, wherein the same image sensor is used toextract measurements from both the first light source and the secondlight source.
 12. The optical sensor module of claim 1, wherein the oneor more optical sensor(s) is configured to carry out one or more of thefollowing: in-pixel ambient/DC subtraction; near pixel ambient DCsubtraction; pixel block statistics calculation; and/or pixel arraystatistics calculation.
 13. The optical sensor module of claim 1,wherein the one or more optical sensor(s) includes a processorconfigured to process captured data in-device and generate PPG and/orSPG output data.
 14. The optical sensor module of claim 1, wherein theone or more optical sensor(s) comprises an event-based image sensor. 15.The optical sensor module of claim 1, wherein the one or more opticalsensor(s) comprises a photodiode and separate sensor (e.g. CMOS). 16.The optical sensor module of claim 1, further comprising one or moreprocessors configured to convert optical measurement(s) at the one ormore optical sensor(s) to measurements of one or more of the following:blood pressure, SpO2, arterial stiffness, heart rate, heart ratevariability, atrial fibrillation, bradycardia, tachycardia, and/ormovement such as steps taken or gestures.
 17. The optical sensor moduleof claim 1, located on a wrist strap of a wearable device.
 18. Theoptical sensor module of claim 17, wherein, when the wearable device islocated on the wrist of a user, one or more of the optical sensor(s) arelocated over the radial artery of the user.
 19. The optical sensormodule of claim 17, wherein the wearable device includes a timepiece,and a strap that is connectable to the timepiece, and wherein the entireoptical sensor module is located on the strap.
 20. The optical sensor ofclaim 1, further comprising one or more additional light source(s). 21.A wearable device comprising a first optical sensor module according toclaim
 1. 22. The wearable device of claim 21, further comprising asecond optical sensor module, the second optical sensor modulecomprising: a first light source, for illuminating the tissue for usewith SPG measurements, the first light source comprising a laser; asecond light source, for illuminating the tissue for use with PPGmeasurements; and one or more optical sensor(s) for receiving light fromthe illuminated tissue.
 23. The wearable device of claim 18, wherein thewearable device is a strap.
 24. A wearable device comprising two or morebio-monitoring circuits, each biomonitoring circuit comprising arespective light source and sensor.
 25. A strap for a wearable device,the strap comprising two or more bio-monitoring circuits, eachbiomonitoring circuit comprising a respective light source and sensor.